Electrical cable accessories configured for lubricated installation

Abstract

An electrical cable accessory, such as a terminator or an electrical connector element, to be installed at the terminus of a shielded electrical cable using a lubricant to ease the installation has an opening for receiving the cable and a flared inlet passage through which the cable terminus passes, the configuration of the inlet passage permitting the lubricant to enter the opening during installation and assuring that the cable will be gripped appropriately within the opening upon completion of the installation.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows: 
     
       1. In a cable accessory to be installed at the terminus of an electrically shielded cable by using a lubricant to ease the installation, the cable having an outside diameter falling within a predetermined range between a smallest diameter and a largest diameter, the cable including a conductor, insulation surrounding the conductor, and a conductive shield surrounding the insulation, the cable having a portion of the shield removed to expose the insulation thereof beyond a terminal region of the shield, and having a portion of the insulation removed to expose the conductor beyond a terminal region of the insulation, the terminal region of the exposed insulation being positioned between a terminal region of the exposed conductor and the terminal region of the exposed shield: a sleeve-like member of essentially solid elastomeric material having an open end through which the terminus of the cable is to be passed and an axially-extending opening for receiving the cable terminus, the opening including a resiliently dilatable insulation-gripping portion for firmly gripping the insulation and an inlet passage extending between the insulation-gripping portion and the open end of the sleeve-like member;   the inlet passage being flared radially outwardly in the direction from the insulation-gripping portion toward the open end such that the inside diameter of the inlet passage at the open end is substantially larger than the largest diameter of said predetermined range, the inlet passage including a first axially-extending portion tapering downwardly from a maximum diameter at the open end to a first prescribed diameter spaced axially from the open end, and a second axially-extending portion tapering downwardly from the first prescribed diameter to a second prescribed diameter located adjacent the insulation-gripping portion of the opening;   the sleeve-like member having a substantial wall thickness at the second axially-extending portion of the inlet passage, the substantial wall thickness being provided by the solid elastomeric structure of the sleeve-like member;   the inside diameter of the inlet passage at the open end being large enough to permit the lubricant on the cable to enter the opening during installation, and the first and second prescribed diameters being such that the relative dimensions of the second axially-extending portion of the inlet passage and a cable having an outside diameter within said predetermined range, together with the substantial wall thickness provided by the solid elastomeric structure of the sleeve-like member at the second axially-extending portion, will assure that the surrounding conductive shield of the cable will be gripped firmly at a location along the second axially-extending portion of the inlet passage, the first prescribed diameter being spaced axially from the second prescribed diameter so as to enable the terminal region of the shield to be located axially anywhere thereinbetween, the second axially-extending portion being adapted, by virtue of said relative dimensions and said substantial wall thickness, to grip radially the terminal region of the shield so as to substantially reduce any voids between the inlet passage and the terminal region of the shield while compensating for a variation in the axial location of the terminal region of the shield relative to the terminal region of the insulation and the terminal region of the conductor.   
     
     
       2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the first prescribed diameter and the second prescribed diameter are each smaller than the smallest diameter of said predetermined range. 
     
     
       3. The invention of claim 2 wherein the taper of the first axially-extending portion of the inlet passage is steeper than the taper of the second axially-extending portion of the inlet passage. 
     
     
       4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the flare of the inlet passage follows a configuration which at least approximates an exponentially curved surface. 
     
     
       5. The invention of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the second prescribed diameter equals the diameter of the insulation-gripping portion of the opening. 
     
     
       6. The invention of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the opening includes: a further resiliently dilatable insulation-gripping portion for firmly gripping the insulation, the further insulation-gripping portion being spaced axially from the first said insulation-gripping portion; and   a relief portion extending axially between the insulation-gripping portions and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the insulation-gripping portions for reducing the frictional forces along the insulation during installation.   
     
     
       7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the second prescribed diameter equals the diameter of at least the first said insulation-gripping portion of the opening. 
     
     
       8. The invention of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the opening includes a relief portion located beyond the insulation-gripping portion in the direction away from the open end, the relief portion having a diameter greater than the insulation-gripping portion for reducing the frictional forces along the insulation during installation. 
     
     
       9. The invention of claim 1 wherein: the sleeve-like member of elastomeric material is a composite member having a first part of conductive elastomeric material and a second part of insulating elastomeric material; and   the inlet passage is located entirely within the first part of the member.   
     
     
       10. The invention of claim 9 wherein at least a part of the insulation-gripping portion of the opening is located within the first part of the member. 
     
     
       11. The invention of claim 10 wherein the first prescribed diameter and the second prescribed diameter are each smaller than the smallest diameter of said predetermined range. 
     
     
       12. The invention of claim 11 wherein the taper of the first insulation-gripping portion of the inlet passage is steeper than the taper of the second insulation-gripping portion of the inlet passage. 
     
     
       13. The invention of claim 12 wherein the flare of the inlet passage follows a configuration which at least approximates an exponentially curved surface. 
     
     
       14. The invention of claim 10, 11, 12 or 13 wherein the second prescribed diameter equals the diameter of the insulation-gripping portion of the opening. 
     
     
       15. The invention of claim 10, 11, 12 or 13 wherein the opening includes: a further resiliently dilatable insulation-gripping portion for firmly gripping the insulation, the further insulation-gripping portion being spaced axially from the first said insulation-gripping portion; and   a relief portion extending axially between the insulation-gripping portions and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the insulation-gripping portions for reducing the frictional forces along the insulation during installation.   
     
     
       16. The invention of claim 15 wherein the second prescribed diameter equals the diameter of at least the first said insulation-gripping portion of the opening. 
     
     
       17. The invention of claim 10, 11, 12 or 13 wherein the opening includes a relief portion located beyond the insulation-gripping portion in the direction away from the open end, the relief portion having a diameter greater than the insulation-gripping portion for reducing the frictional forces along the insulation during installation. 
     
     
       18. The invention of claim 17 wherein the sleeve-like member of elastomeric material includes a third part of conductive elastomeric material extending circumferentially around and radially outside of the relief portion of the opening.